The present invention relates to systems and methods for controlling a moisture separator reheater, for example, in power generation system using a steam turbine.
A variety of systems, such as power generation systems, utilize a moisture separator reheater (MSR) to dry and reheat a steam supply. For example, the MSR may dry and reheat steam in a steam turbine system that drives an electrical generator. In particular, the MSR may dry and reheat steam exhausted from a high pressure (HP) steam turbine, and then deliver the dried, reheated steam into a low pressure (LP) steam turbine. The steam turbine system may acquire HP steam from a suitable source, such as a boiler heated by a nuclear reactor or combustion of a fuel-air mixture. The amount of heat transfer and moisture removal by the MSR may affect overall performance of the steam turbine system, as well as the power generation system. The MSR generally includes a pneumatic controller responsive to a single control variable, i.e., the turbine pressure, indicative of turbine loading. Unfortunately, using a single variable, open loop control system results in sub-optimal performance and higher operating costs, because the turbine loading relates only indirectly to the MSR reheat process being controlled.